What Makes a Zelda Game?

Over the past two years Zelda Informer has written somewhat of an impromptu six-part article series. What series is that you ask? Well, everybody's favorite 'The Legend of Zelda doesn't need this and that' series. Okay, so it's not everyone's favorite. Quite the opposite really. It has has been controversial and stirred up mixed, and passionate, emotions. Many readers hated them and wondered how such content could come from a Zelda fan site. Some readers did enjoy them for what they were, which is great. But what were they exactly? They ranged from structured arguments, to humorous, to plain fanboy-having a cry style. The series is over now, leaving the question 'what actually does make a Zelda game then'?